Chesley

I haven't been able to track it down, yet.

However, I did find a Wagner medallion

(of roughly the same era) with the same initials.

Are those (engraver) initials F.H. ?

If you want to be safe, don't even LOOK at ANY medal bar that has ribbons like this one.

Great tutorial !

It should be archived.

p.s. rick r: i looked very closely at the finish, and it doesn't look to be stripped. the existing finish is actually coming off of one of the cross arm tips, showing a darker base metal. bronze or copper-ish.

Also... if this had been (badly) stripped, wouldn't the original finish still reside inside

the 9, 4, & A (in addition to the oak leaves and crown)?

Instead, this looks like it was intended to place specific emphasis on the oak leaves

and crown. The previously mentioned idea that this piece might have been produced

in conjuction with a memorial event looks (at least) possible .

Perhaps he simply doesn't know any better....

Yes, I too thought that might be the case.

So I sent an email to the fellow, pointing to the fact that

the item wasn't "authentic" and that he should change his

wording to "copy". Just so he wouldn't end up selling the

thing to an even more naive buyer.

His reply was a classic:

"So don't bid on it, ***hole".

I think he knows.

This has got to be one of the crudest attempts at deception perpetrated

by an eBay seller. If only all the fakes were this easy to spot.

http://cgi.ebay.com:80/Authentic-WWI-Germa...1QQcmdZViewItem

Maybe not a coin, but perhaps a medallion.

As for the ship, it looks very much like a

pre-dreadnought of the Brandenburg Class

Hello taucher,

I would concur that this is a WWI era commemorative naval medal and that Jutland is a good guess. I notice that in the picture in post #2 that there appears to be a point of land and a lighthouse. No doubt this has a significance which may provide the answer.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

Hmmm.... does anyone not think that this item pre-dates WWI ??

If you look at the ship, it more resembles the USS Maine than the

warships that took part in the battle of Jutland. Perhaps this item

commemorates a foreign tour like TR's "Great White Fleet" PR campaign

of 1907. I really do believe this item is older than you think.

Many, you must recall, but we are told to forget, opposed the war all along. Then as now, mate, then as now.

Read your history.

1914 is one thing, 1916 is QUITE another (but many opposed it all along).

I don't dispute the fact that there were always those who opposed the war.

I also believe that their numbers increased, as time went on.

Given the hardships and food shortages, that is understandable.

Of course, it's difficult to gauge their number.

But one might use public demonstrations as a very rough indicator.

If so, it would appear that a smaller percentage of Germans opposed the war

at it's onset than (say) the number of Northerners who opposed the War

Between the States. The draft riots in New York, the near rebellion in Baltimore,

the turmoil in Kentucky and other border states, as well as numerous smaller

events eclipse anything in Germany until (perhaps) the last years of WWI.

Interestingly, northern dissidents are viewed (generally) as malcontents, or

(more commonly) as out and out "sympathizers" to the opposition. While German

dissidents are viewed in more positive terms. Could those different labels relate

to who won and who lost?

The way you put it, pretty easy: F (if not 'G')

Ah, the advantage of time.

Do you really think German citizens would have viewed

it that way in the early years of the war?

Based on the number of "gold for iron" medallions that we see today?

I would point out the umlauts over the U in the first example, as opposed to beside the U in the second example.

Chesley:

Thanks for the information, I was worried about this one.

I guess that means a trip back to the dealer though I believe both of us were taken in.

Many thanks.

Brian

Brian:

You shouldn't take my word alone on this matter.

This forum is populated by much more knowledgable individuals than myself.

Like you, I was simply worried by the look of the item.

Before going back to the dealer, I would wait for one of the experts here

to confirm your suspicions.

Best regards!

-Chesley

Brian:

In the 1960's I ran across a number of reproductions by Carl Sieder of Vienna.

They all had maker's marks or inscriptions standing out "proudly", as you say,

rather than impressed (or stamped) into the metal as one might possibly see

on an original. The quality of Sieder's work varied. Some were pretty terrible,

while others (like his mothers cross) were much higher quality. But none of them

stood up very well against an original, and all had that tell-tale raised mark or

inscription.

I may be off here, but on July 10, 1900 Crown Prince Rupprecht (Son of Ludwig III) married

Maria Gabriele Mathilde (of Bavaria?) in Munich. If that "MLM" is perhaps "MGM" instead,

could that be your match?

Just a guess, offered for what it's worth.

"authentic reproduction"...

i love it! i'd sure hate to get

stuck with a reproduction reproduction....

Ah, to write ad copy in the 1950s !

My favorite was a TV ad for plastic soldiers.

With just one bucket full of this product,

one was told, a kid could create

"Realistic battle-like action"

authentic reproductions of famous medals

to be awarded at the conclusion.

German Ambassadors to Japan:

Herber von Dirksen 1933-1938

Major General Eugen Ott 1938-1942

(he was also attache 1934-1938)

Heinrich Geog Stahmer 1942-1945

Couldn't find photos of any of them,

but could it be Ott?

Yes, I?m sure it is :-)

By the way, Manfred von Richthofen also got a reward from Lippe-Detmold.

I showed a copy of the original signed receipt, I found in the archive of Detmold.

The shown document is only one of a (almost) complete group of documents...I?ll show you the rest, when I?ve collected all the information.

Greetings

Solomon

If I might ask a (nearly) off topic question...about Manfred von Richthofen:

Is there any record of him ever receiving the Observer's Badge?

He was an observer (and participated in bombing missions) before he

became a pilot, but I have never seen a reference or a photo of him

with the observer badge.

-Chesley